Light and signal lantern for ships



2 SheetsSheet 1'.

LBARRE".

Patented Apr. 28, 1896.

= (No MbdeLj ELECTRIC RUNNING LIGHT AND SIGNAL LANTERN FOR SHIPS. No. 559,048.

IN DREW BYGRAHAM. FHUTD-UTNQWASHINFIDNJD.

2 SheetsSheet 2. J. B'ARRE. ELECTRIC RUNNING LIGHT AND SIGNAL LANTERN FOR SHIPS. o. 559,048.

(No Model.)

Patented Apr. 28, 1896.

Bil vihwowo NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH BARRF, on NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TQ SOPHIA menu, or SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC RUNNING-LIGHT AND SIGNAL-LANTERN FOR SHIPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,048, dated April 28, 1896.

Application filed November 29,1893- Serial No. 492,334. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH BARRIZJQa citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Running-Lights and Signal-Lanterns for Ships, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct masthead, starboard, and port light fixtures and signallanterns for ships so as to adapt them for electric lamps; and it consists in providing such fixtures with simple and convenient means for supporting the electric lamps, efficient means for closing water-tight the openings through which the current-conductors are passed, to so construct and arrange the parts that the electric lamps can be readily replaced when necessary, and when a fixture is adapted to receive two or more lamps to provide means for readily bringing either or all of the lamps into focus.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure l is a plan View of a well-known type of side light embodying my present invention; Fig. 2, a front elevation of the same; Fig. 3, an enlarged view, partly in elevation and partly in section, on

the line 3 3 of Fig. 4, showing my invention,

and Fig. 4, an enlarged sectional view on the lines 4 4 of Fig. 3.

A is a collar secured in any suitable manner. to the top of the lamp-fixture, and B a removable cap for same. It is desirable to provide side lights with two or more lamps, so that in case one breaks another may be placed in focus, and such an arrangement is also desirable in masthead-lights in order that several lamps may be placed in focus when desired. To accomplish this, I provide two lamp-supports C and 0, preferably tubular, and through which the current-conductors are led. Each tubular support is inserted through an opening in cap 13, and the shoulder or flange 0 on said support rests upon the cap and is preferably brazed thereto, so as to rigidly secure the lamp-support to the cap and make a watertight joint. If desired, the lamp-support and cap may be cast or otherwise formed in one piece. Each support is provided with a screw-threaded nip- To make a water-tight packing around the y current-conductors entering the lamp-supports, I provide an annular gland or gasket. D, through which the conductors can freely pass, and the gland is forced upon the conductors by a screw-threaded packing-ring or cap D,which en gages with the screw-threaded outer end of the lamp-support, and by screwing down the cap the gland is by reason of its tapering outer surface and the tapering opening in the cap forced closely and firmly upon the conductor, thus making a water -tight joint. Any desired shape may be given the gland and the opening in the cap but the form shown is the preferred one.

The glands D are preferably seated on thimbles D having beveled or concaved upper edges, into which the beveled or convened inner ends of the glands fit. Shaping the gland and seat in this way insures a good seat for the gland, preventing it from tilting as the cap is screwed down, and also forces the inner end of the gland together and packs it around the conductors. By forcing together the inner end of the gland the cap works easily down the same, and therefore the cap does not carry the gland around with it, whereby the twisting of the conductors is avoided. It is important that the conductors should not be twisted after connections are made to the lamp-sockets, sinceithe connections are apt to be injured. The concave seat for the gland may be formed directly upon the upper end of the lamp-support; but I prefer to provide the thimble, as it avoids twisting or cutting of the gland should the gland become wedged in its seat in such manner as to prevent its being compressed evenly by the cap-that is to say, if the gland should become wedged and bulge out, so that the cap could not work down the same, the thimble would be carried around through the wedging action, and thus prevent cutting or otherwise injuring the gland, since if the gland were held rigid against rotation the edges of the cap working around the gland would cut into it and the cap would fail to tightly pack the gland around the conductors. It will be understood that unless the gland wedges in its seat it will have no tendency to move around with the cap.

In side and masthead lights a curved rib d is secured by screws (1 to the cap 13, and these ribs are set into a groove d formed in collar A, whereby the cap is held in position upon the collar and permitting it to be rotated thereon to adjust the lamps. The cap may be secured in position by screws or pins passed through the cap and entering the groove; but I prefer the arrangement shown, since a better and tighter joint is made between the cap and collar. To lock the cap in the desired position, I provide a spring-pressed head 6, which passes through holes in cap B and registers with holes 0 in collar A, there being a sufficient number of holes e to lock the cap in the various desired positions. The head 6 is formed on the end of a stem 6 having a knob e screwed to the outer end. The stem 6 passes through box 0, rigidly secured to cap B, and within this box and coiled around the stem is a spring 6''. This spring acts to force the head a into holes e.

WVhen it is desired to get at thelamps within the fixture, cap B is removed by removing screws (1, whereby the cap is disconnected from ribs (1, and by withdrawing head 6 from the hole e it happens to be in.

It is obvious that the general idea above described of employing two electric lamps is capable of other uses than with side and masthead lightsfor example, with railroad-lanterns; and it is further evident that my improved water-tight packing for the lightingwires can be used with lanterns having only one light, such as signal-lanterns.

WVhat I claim is 1. A running-light for ships, provided with a cap at its upper end carrying supports for two or more electric lights, said cap being rotatable with respect to the lamp-fixture, whereby the electric lights may be brought successively into focus, substantially as set forth.

2. A running-light for ships, provided with a cap at its upper end carrying supports for two or more electric lights, said cap being rotatable with respect to the lamp-fixture, whereby the electric lights may be brought successively into focus, and water-tight entrances in said cap for the current-conductors, substantially as set forth.

3. In running-lights for ships, the combination with a collar at the top of the lam p-fixture and a groove in said collar, of a cap rotatably mounted on said collar, an element carried by said cap in engagement with said groove to prevent displacement of the cap, and two or more electric-light supports carried by said cap and adapted to be rotated with respect to the lamp-fixture, whereby the electric lights may be brought successively into focus, substantially as set forth.

l. In arunning-light for ships, the combination with a collar at the top of the lamp-fixture and a groove in said collar, of a cap rotatably mounted on said collar, an element carried by said cap in engagement with said groove to prevent displacement of said cap, means for locking said cap in different positions with respect to said collar, and two or more electrio-light supports carried by said cap, substantially as set forth.

5. A running-light for ships, provided with a cap at its upper end carrying tubular supports for two or more electric lights, said cap being rotatable with respect to the lamp-fixture, whereby the lights may be brought successively into focus, a gland at the topof each lamp-support, and a packing ring or cap for forcing said gland upon the current-conductors entering said tubular supports, substantially as set forth.

6. A water-tight packing for runnin g-lights or signal-lanterns for ships adapted to receive electric lamps, having in combination a tubular entrance for the cnrrent-conductors, a ihimble at one end of such entrance, having a beveled or concaved end, a gland having a beveled or convexed end seated on the beveled or concaved end of said thimble, and a packing ring or cap for forcing said gland upon the currei1t-conductors, substantially as set forth.

7. In running-lights for ships, the combination of collar A, cap B, two or more electriclight supports carried by said cap and means for securing said cap upon said collar but permitting rotary movement of the cap, to adjust the lamps into focus, substantially set forth.

8. In running-lights for ships, the combination of collar A, having groove d cap B having ribs cl removably secured thereto, and which ribs work in said groove (1 whereby the cap is held upon said collar but is capable of rotary movement to adjust the lamps into focus, substantially as set forth.

9. In running-lights for ships, the combination of collar A, cap B, means for retaining said cap upon the collar but permitting rotary movement of the cap to adjust a lamp into focus, holes or notches e in the collar, and a head 6 carried by said cap and adapted to register with holes e to lock the cap in position when adjusted, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 22d day of November, 1893.

JOSEPH BARRE.

Witnesses:

IV. PELZER, Gno. B. CRONK IIO IIS 

